Cluster 6 funds R&I that reduces environmental degradation, halts and reverses biodiversity loss, manages natural resources sustainably, and delivers safe, sustainable food and water while supporting a competitive, circular and climate‑neutral bioeconomy.

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Big picture and budget

Part of the 2026–27 Horizon Europe package, which allocates at least 35% of funding to climate-related objectives, with Cluster 6 as a major contributor. For 2026, the total indicative budget amounts to €676.4 million.​

The 2026–27 Cluster 6 Work Programme covers all seven Destinations:

• • Biodiversity & ecosystem services

  • Fair, healthy and sustainable food systems

  • Circular bio-based sectors

  • Clean environment & zero pollution

  • Land, oceans and water for climate action

  • Resilient, inclusive rural and coastal areas

  • Innovative governance, environmental observation & digital solutions.

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Calls and topics in 2026

• The 2026 part of the programme foresees at least seven calls with around 58–60 topics and 100+ projects expected to be funded across RIAs, IAs and CSAs.​

• Calls open mainly between February and August 2026, with deadlines typically April–November 2026, depending on whether they are single‑stage or two‑stage.​

• Example: Call HORIZON‑CL6‑2026‑01 (single stage) opens 17 April 2026 and closes 17 September 2026, covering topics on insect decline, groundwater ecosystems, deep‑sea biodiversity and multiple circular bioeconomy topics (plastics, textiles, WEEE, biomass flows, blue bio‑based products, etc.).​

• Example: Call HORIZON‑CL6‑2026‑03 (two‑stage) under Destination 7 opens 12 February 2026, with first‑stage deadline 15 April 2026 and second‑stage 30 September 2026, budget €12 million.​

• Example: Call HORIZON‑CL6‑2026‑04 (single stage) under Destination 7 opens 25 August 2026, deadline 26 November 2026, budget €60 million focused on a European partnership topic.

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Funding and novelties (2026–27)

• Fewer, larger topics: the work programme simplifies the landscape with fewer call topics and higher average funding per project, increasing the strategic weight and impact of each project.​

• Extensive use of lump sums for many RIA/IA/CSA topics, reducing financial reporting burden and simplifying project management for beneficiaries.​

• Horizontal and open topics: new “horizontal calls” and more open formulations give room for cross‑cutting, system‑level proposals and make it easier for newcomers to enter Cluster 6.​

• Strategic autonomy & risk screening: stronger focus on EU strategic autonomy, including safeguards against high‑risk suppliers and restrictions on entities controlled by certain third countries (e.g. China) in sensitive areas.​

• Cluster 6 is highlighted as the main contributor to EU biodiversity spending, accounting for about 49% of biodiversity‑related budget in the 2026–27 work programme.

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  What’s being funded?

  • Solutions for sustainable food systems, resilient agriculture and healthier diets along the full value chain.​

  • Biodiversity and ecosystem services: from insect decline and deep‑sea conservation to nature‑positive transition scenarios.​

  • Circular bioeconomy and zero pollution: plastics and textile circularity, bio‑based products, critical raw materials recovery, and clean soil, water and marine environments.​

  • Climate adaptation and rural innovation: climate‑resilient land and water management, vibrant rural areas and new bio‑based value chains.

     

  • Topics and destinations

    The topics under this programme are divided into seven destinations:

    • Fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems from primary production to consumption – Call opens on 14 January 2026

    • Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities –Call opens on 14 January 2026

    • Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal – Call opens on 14 January 2026

    • Biodiversity and ecosystem services – Call opens on 12 February 2026

    • Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors – Call opens on 12 February 2026

    • Clean environment and zero pollution – Call opens on 12 February 2026

    • Land, oceans and water for climate action – Call opens on 12 February 2026

- Biodiversity (Destination 1): topics on insect decline, groundwater ecosystems, deep‑sea ecosystems, protected areas effectiveness, nature‑positive transition scenarios and agrobiodiversity, with topic budgets typically €10–18 million and EU contribution ~€5–9 million per project.​

- Circular bioeconomy.(Destination 3): topics on flexible food packaging circularity, textile recycling, critical raw materials from WEEE, circular city systems for textiles, biomass flows, biotech/biomanufacturing, bio-based standards and blue bio‑based products, with topic budgets €3–12 million and 1–3 projects per topic.​

- Zero pollution (Destination 4): topics such as marine noise impacts, bioremediation of conflict‑contaminated ecosystems (Ukraine), and managed aquifer recharge, with budgets around €10–12 million.

What this means for entrepreneurs and SMEs

• Strong emphasis on demonstration and deployment in higher‑TRL Innovation Actions creates room for startups and SMEs with market‑oriented solutions in sustainable food, bio‑based products, circular materials, nature‑based solutions, agri‑tech and environmental monitoring.​

• Consortia typically require at least three independent entities from three eligible countries, but many topics explicitly encourage participation of SMEs, innovators and “newcomers to Horizon Europe”.​

• Projects support pilots, value‑chain scale‑up, new business models, territorial demonstration (rural, coastal, urban‑rural interfaces) and digital tools (e.g. environmental observation, modelling, decision‑support).